560 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP. On the 18th a party of the officers landed in Escholtz Eay to 
_ ^ \ search for fossils, but they were unsuccessful, in consequence of an 
Oct irregularity in the tide, which was on that occasion unaccountably 
high, and scarcely fell during the day. The cliffs had broken away 
considerably since the preceding year ; and the frozen surface of the 
cliff’ appeared in smaller quantities than before, but the earth was found 
congealed at a less depth from the top. This examination tended to 
confirm more steadfastly the opinion that the ice forms only a coating 
to the cliff, and is occasioned by small streams of water oozing out, 
which either become congealed themselves in their descent, or convert 
into ice the snow which rests in the hollows. 
On the 24th and 28th the nights were clear and frosty, and the 
aurora borealis was seen forming several arches. On the 28th the dis- 
play was very brilliant and interesting, as it had every appearance of^ 
being between the clouds and the earth ; and after one of these dis- 
plays, several meteors were observed issuing from parts of the arch, and 
falling obliquely toward the earth, This was also one of the lare 
instances of the aurora being seen to the southward of our zenith. 
In the beginning of October we had sharp frosts and heavy falls 
of snow. On the 4th the earth was deeply covered, and the lakes were 
frozen ; the thermometer during the night fell to 25°, and at noon on 
the 5th to 24°, and there was every appearance of the winter having 
commenced. It therefore became my duty seriously to consider on the 
propriety of continuing longer in these seas. We had received no 
intelligence of Captain Franklin’s party, nor was it very probable that 
it could now appear ; and we could only hope, as the time had arrived 
when it would be imperative on us to withdraw^ from him the only relief 
he could experience in these seas, that he had met with insurmountable 
obstacles to his proceeding, and had retraced his route up the M‘Kenzie 
Kiver. 
Anxious, however, to remain to the last, on the chance of being use- 
ful to him, I again solicited the opinions of the officers as to the state 
of the season, and finding them unanimous in believing the winter to 
have commenced, and that the ship could not remain longer in Kotzebue 
Sound with safety, I determined to quit the anchorage the moment the 
wind would permit. Weighing the probability of Captain Franklin’s 
